“ We were fortunate to be acquired by Astronics because their culture fit well with the PECO culture . Customer intimacy is a big deal with Astronics and PECO . We sit side-byside with our customers to understand their challenges and solve their problems ,” Stevenson said .
Beasley added that they do this by communicating with their customers daily . “ We balance communication between the PECO team and the customers . We all work together daily to ensure good communication and ontime delivery .”
She said they provide milestone charts and progress updates so that the customer never has to guess where something stands . She said it is rare for them to have conflict with a customer because of this model . “ Many times , they forget that we are an extension of their team . It is what we work towards ; we want to be part of their team .”
Another reason why the company has been successful , and was attractive to Astronics , was because of their vertical integration . Stevenson said that PECO started in the metal and foundry industries and evolved from there . “ As there were opportunities to take on other capabilities and serve different interests , we did that ,” said Stevenson . He said being able to offer plastic injection molding , CNC machining , finishing , painting , and assembly are just some of the integrated options that allow them to keep projects wholly in-house .
He said that PECO further invested in engineering vertical integration about 20 years ago , enabling them to offer both the engineering and manufacturing results in a lower cost for customers .
APRIL | MAY 2021 ISSUE NO . 26 13